KSRTC bus terminus on Mysore Road

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, JUNE 2. The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) will operate buses from the Mysore Chrome Tanning field, near Byatarayanapura, on Mysore Road to places in South Karnataka.

The Minister for Transport, Mr. Sageer Ahmed, told presspersons at the KSRTC Central Offices here today that the corporation would take possession of the land on Monday. From August 15, it would operate bus services to Mysore from there, and later to various cities, including Madikeri, Hassan and Chikmagalur.

A temporary bus shelter having amenities for passengers would be constructed there. The land measured nine acres, and two acres of it would be utilised for the purpose. The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) would run bus services between the proposed terminus and Shivajinagar, City Market, Jayanagar and Yeshwanthpur in the City.

Mr. Ahmed said the proposal to set up a bus terminus on Mysore Road had been made to decongest the Kempe Gowda Bus Station. When the project was completed, buses to places in South Karnataka from the City would be operated from there.

The Mysore Road Bus Terminus, he said, would be the second hub of the KSRTC after the Kempe Gowda Bus Station. It would be developed into a state-of-the-art terminus like the one at Shivajinagar. There would be facilities for passengers, shopping and parking, commercial space and bus bays.

To provide better facilities for commuters, the corporation plans to set up a 8,000-sq.ft. ``model'' motel, ``Midway Plaza'', at Maddur in Mandya District, about 70 km. from the City on the Bangalore-Mysore Highway.

The KSRTC, he said, would engage the private sector to construct and maintain the plaza, which would be built on land owned by the corporation on BOT (Build, Operate and Transfer) basis. The work on the project had started, and it was expected to become operational by April 2002.

He said the KSRTC had estimated the Bangalore-Mysore corridor to be one of the busiest in the State, with 450 bus services being operated between the two cities. These services transported an estimated 40,000 passengers a day.

The KSRTC had found there was absolute lack of passenger amenities on the corridor. The plaza, when completed, would be the first of its kind in the State, and would cater to the needs of the passengers of 15 buses at a time. The corporation, he said, would conduct inspections to ensure that high standards of hygiene and catering were maintained there.

Land would be identified on other State and national highways such as Bangalore-Tumkur, Bangalore-Mangalore, Bangalore-Kolar and Bangalore-Hassan, to set up such motels.

The minister said the KSRTC had decided to set up 40 modern bus stands in the State. They would have adequate facilities for passengers, and would be modelled similar to those in Gujarat. The KSRTC would soon get itself a brand identity. As a first step, 270 ultra deluxe buses would be upgraded to the P-5000 model. The interiors of these buses would be re-designed. To enforce brand identity, the corporation planned to upgrade facilities for the commuters in these buses by starting separate reservation counters, and waiting rooms, which would have facilities, including televisions and public call offices. There would be separate platforms for these buses.

Two P-5000 buses were already operating on the Bangalore- Mangalore route. The air-conditioned Volvo buses were likely to be introduced on other routes. Talks were already on to purchase 10 Volvo buses, which could seat 48 passengers.

He said the corporation would launch a programme to check whether the emissions by 12,000 buses adhered to the norms, from June 5. The buses emitting more smoke would be repaired. The checks would be conducted every month at the depots.

The Managing Director of the KSRTC, Mr. Jairaj, said the corporation had adopted a 10-point charter to improve its performance. The charter envisaged zero cancellation of bus services, reduction of late departures and arrivals to less than five per cent, increased vehicle utilisation and improved facilities at the bus stands.

He said the corporation had shown an increase of 15 per cent in traffic revenue in April and May compared to the same period last year. The cancellation of schedules in May had come down to three per cent. Besides, it earned Rs. 70 lakhs by giving buses on contract during the period. This was only Rs. 30 lakhs last year.

Mr. Pradeep Singh Kharola, Managing Director, BMTC, Mr. Gagandeep, Director (Security and Vigilance), KSRTC, and Mr. Raj Kumar, Chief Traffic Manager, KSRTC, were present.

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